The battlefield is sacred; how can it allow others to barge in—especially when the fight has reached this life-and-death, soul-stirring crescendo!
In the next instant, the gazes of the two war goddesses clashed mid-air. No words were spoken, yet in that split second each read the identical, raging defiance blazing in the other's eyes—like proud wolves enraged when their hunt is disturbed.
Perfect coordination—no need for forethought!
Just as Aizen Sōsuke's Kyōka Suigetsu quivered, its edge about to meet Yomi;
just as Kyoraku Shunsui's reishi coiled around Katen Kyōkotsu, poised to entangle Unohana Retsu with a deft step—
an utterly unexpected scene erupted!
The two opponents who had been hacking at each other—Unohana Retsu and Yomi—seemed pulled by invisible strings, both abandoning their attacks at once!
Bodies brimming with volcanic power, they whirled in a swift, dazzling turn within a thousandth of a breath.
Unohana's blood-slicked blade locked onto the charging Kyoraku Shunsui;
Yomi's weapon, still drunk on the blood of the first kenpachi, lashed with savage killing intent straight at the closing Aizen Sōsuke.
They… had become the new targets?!
CLANG!!!——
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
This was no crisp clash; it was a far more terrifying, wilder metallic roar than when Unohana and Yomi had traded blows.
It felt like a thousand great bells struck at once by titanic hammers.
The entire barrier shook violently; the shock-wave of sound mixed with shattered reishi gushed outward like a tsunami.
The solid barrier visibly rippled, flaring with blinding halos.
Before the two interlopers could even feel shock,
Kyoraku felt an irresistible, bloody, murderous force smash into Katen Kyōkotsu like an ancient demon-mountain.
It wasn't just reishi pressure—it was a mental mauling, as if a beast of slaughter had bitten him.
With a grunt, his elegant form spun like a leaf in a storm, hurled back along his own path in utter disgrace; a coppery tang filled his mouth.
Almost simultaneously, another thunderous crash announced an equally stunning result.
Yomi's black-crimson surge of power crashed full-force into Kyōka Suigetsu, which Aizen had barely raised in defense.
A grating screech set teeth on edge; Aizen's calm façade cracked for the first time—disbelief flashed across his face.
The raw, brutal strength far exceeded his estimate.
Behind his lenses, his pupils contracted.
In the next instant, the unreleased force burst and his body, as if struck by a battering ram, was blasted backward, following Kyoraku in a humiliating arc.
Two dull booms followed.
The two heavyweight captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads slammed into the barrier wall above the stands like cannonballs, the whole field roaring and flashing.
They landed hard—no grave injuries, but in the most wretched postures imaginable.
Kyoraku's straw hat skewed to his ear, his haori disheveled;
Aizen's glasses slid to the tip of his nose, hair mussed, every trace of cultured elegance gone.
Dead silence—
then an eruption of stunned, uncontrollable uproar!
"What??"
"Good heavens—did I see right?! Isayama… Isayama Yomi actually… knocked Captain Aizen flying?!"
"Y-yes! Captain Aizen was blasted away!"
"Captain Kyoraku! Over there too—Captain Unohana also—"
"How?! Both captains jumped in and… were instantly hurled back?!"
"Who on earth is Isayama Yomi?! And Captain Unohana's power—"
The training ground's edge exploded like boiling oil splashed with water.
Every watching Shinigami, Lieutenant and foot soldiers alike, stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, faces etched with disbelief.
A chorus of chatter, gasps, and chattering teeth buzzed through the air.
Yomi's once-mysterious figure now blazed with an aura of sheer terror.
At the edge of the field,
Kyoraku grimaced as he straightened his tilted hat, dusted his flamboyant haori, and gave a wry, half-amused, half-horrified smile:
"My, my…" He shook his head and glanced at the equally disheveled Aizen.
"Aizen, old pal… looks like the two of us have really made fools of ourselves this time," he said, ever able to laugh at himself.
Aizen had already regained his footing. With unhurried grace he pushed his glasses back up and brushed away nonexistent dust.
Yet deep in his eyes a flicker of genuine doubt and gravity vanished as quickly as it had appeared, hidden again behind that serene mask.
He regarded the proudly standing Yomi as one might appraise an unexpected treasure, his tone carrying perfect admiration:
"Indeed… beyond expectations. I never imagined Miss Yomi's strength could be… so formidable."